The invention relates to a machine for making bag-like two-compartment packages, particularly tea bags from a strand of a pliant material having a tag secured thereto by a thread, which are formed by folding operations and closed by staples, the material strand being a folded flexible tube filled with separate serving amounts of a substance, the material strand being continuously fed into the machine, and the machine being of the type having conveying means, a plurality of working assemblies including movable parts for cutting the material strand into individual sections, cutting the tag thread, folding the bag, the working assemblies including folding elements for forming the bottom and top of the bag, at least two elevating arms for bringing portions of the bag into an upright position, means for receiving the tags in one of the elevating arms, and means for cutting the bag strand and the thread tag.
West German Pat. Nos. 21 20 270 and 24 05 761, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,873 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) disclose machines of this kind which have proved extraordinarily satisfactory in practice. However, in these machines, the actuation of the individual assemblies which, according to the first-mentioned patent, are stationary, and according to the second mentioned patent, are carried on a conveyor sequentially passing through the zones of individual function, is extremely expensive. In addition, the control elements are provided in close proximity to the respective working station, so that the product to be packed cannot be prevented from occasionally falling on the elements. This frequently causes disturbances and interruptions in operation, since the mostly small, interconnected parts of the drives are very sensitive to dust. Further, only the actuating members of a single working station can be controlled in this way.